After a second consecutive weekend of heavy engineering on the Brighton main line, only two of the normal four tracks between Gatwick Airport and East Croydon reopened for the Monday-morning rush hour (19 January). Network Rail confirmed that ballast renewal and third-rail upgrades ran behind schedule, forcing Gatwick Express to cancel all services and Thameslink to terminate many northbound trains at Three Bridges. Southern’s peak-hour Brighton–London Victoria trains were also pulled.(uknip.co.uk)
Replacement buses linked Gatwick with East Croydon, Reigate and Redhill, but journey times stretched to 125 minutes—double the normal 45. Airlines reported more than 600 missed connections across early-morning departures, and several long-haul carriers relaxed minimum check-in cut-off times. Travel-management companies (TMCs) urged corporates to book Heathrow routings where possible or build overnight buffers into itineraries.
![Gatwick–London main line shut again: weekend works roll into Monday commuter chaos]()
Should the disruption force travellers to reroute through mainland Europe or require unexpected overnight stays that trigger visa obligations, VisaHQ’s online platform can fast-track the necessary travel documents. The service provides real-time guidance for UK residents connecting via Schengen airports or further afield, and applications can be completed entirely online at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/—helpful when itineraries change at short notice.
Network Rail argues that the works—part of the £1.3 billion ‘Crawley Corridor’ upgrade—will markedly improve reliability ahead of the 2027 runway-expansion decision at Gatwick. Yet business-travel lobbies question why closures were scheduled across three consecutive January weekends, traditionally busy for trade-fair and project mobilisation traffic. Future works are pencilled in for 24–25 January and 7–8 February, meaning mobility managers may need to plan alternative routings for at least another month.
Practical tips: travellers should check Southern and National Rail feeds before departure, allow an extra hour for security at Gatwick during bus replacements, and consider e-gates at St Pancras plus Eurostar as a viable fallback for Paris or Brussels day trips.
Replacement buses linked Gatwick with East Croydon, Reigate and Redhill, but journey times stretched to 125 minutes—double the normal 45. Airlines reported more than 600 missed connections across early-morning departures, and several long-haul carriers relaxed minimum check-in cut-off times. Travel-management companies (TMCs) urged corporates to book Heathrow routings where possible or build overnight buffers into itineraries.
Should the disruption force travellers to reroute through mainland Europe or require unexpected overnight stays that trigger visa obligations, VisaHQ’s online platform can fast-track the necessary travel documents. The service provides real-time guidance for UK residents connecting via Schengen airports or further afield, and applications can be completed entirely online at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/—helpful when itineraries change at short notice.
Network Rail argues that the works—part of the £1.3 billion ‘Crawley Corridor’ upgrade—will markedly improve reliability ahead of the 2027 runway-expansion decision at Gatwick. Yet business-travel lobbies question why closures were scheduled across three consecutive January weekends, traditionally busy for trade-fair and project mobilisation traffic. Future works are pencilled in for 24–25 January and 7–8 February, meaning mobility managers may need to plan alternative routings for at least another month.
Practical tips: travellers should check Southern and National Rail feeds before departure, allow an extra hour for security at Gatwick during bus replacements, and consider e-gates at St Pancras plus Eurostar as a viable fallback for Paris or Brussels day trips.
